DAZN KOs YouTube, Snapchat as (temporarily) the most downloaded app

Although the DAZN streaming service has only been available in the U.S. for the past five months, it was the most downloaded app on Android and iOS this past weekend.

That was probably due to the fact that Canelo Alvarez, North America’s most popular boxer, made his DAZN debut last Saturday, knocking out Rocky Fielding in the third round in a dominating performance.

This was the screenshot taken by Golden Boy Promotions on Saturday when DAZN slipped into the top spot

Earlier this year, DAZN signed Alvarez to an 11-fight, $365 million contract. So, it appears that the unprecedented investment in one of the world’s top boxers has already begun to pay off for DAZN.

“Canelo proved to be the attraction we anticipated and, in fact, went beyond our expectations,” Joseph Markowski, DAZN’s executive vice president of North America, said in a statement. “We’re encouraged by Saturday’s warm reception from fight fans and look forward to building on this momentum in 2019.”

According to Golden Boy Promotions, the fight also was trending on Google and Twitter.

“This is exciting news for us at Golden Boy Promotions, but it is also no surprise,” said Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “When a global sports streaming leader in DAZN begins a historic partnership with the biggest star in boxing, then you can expect fans to swarm their app providers to watch the best pound-for-pound fighter do what he does best.”

DAZN is promising more than 100 fight cards per year on its app, featuring both boxing and MMA events, and so far, the service has delivered plenty of high-action, high-drama bouts.

The service costs $9.99 per month, but new subscribers can get a one-month free trial. You can sign up here. It works on computer browsers Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Internet Explorer, and Opera, and it’s available on iOS and Android phones and tablets. To stream DAZN on your TV, you can use Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

Josh Katzowitz is the Weekend Editor for the Daily Dot and covers the world of YouTube. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. He’s also a longtime sports writer, covering the NFL for CBSSports.com and boxing for Forbes. His work has been noted twice in the Best American Sports Writing book series.